. >> president obama is getting ready to pack his bags. that's right. the campaigner in chief is heading back out onto the trail. he does know he won, right? >> i'm steve kornacki. for me of us it's home for the holidays. you get a rare chance to see old friends and distant relatives. the bad news is you get a chance to see old friends and distant relatives. >> i'm making a pledge to my friend grover norquist. you're in "the cycle," and you have my word it's going to be good. >>> the case against ambassador susan rice as a successor to hillary clinton deepens. she went to the hill today to smooth it over with senators mccain, ayotte and graham who criticized her original comments on the deadly benghazi attacks. i picture the conversation between the president and rice going like this. we want you as secretary of state, so go make nice. answer their questions so they stop attacking you and threatening to block your possible nomination. yeah, so how did that work out? >> we are significantly troubled by many of the answers that we got and some that we did